Making Other Plans, Part 9
Title: Making Other Plans, Part 9
Author/Artist:
digthewriter
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 1420
Rating: PG-13
Warnings/Content: Modern!AU
Summary of fic: Life is what happens to us while we're making other plans.
A/N: Unbetaed. Catch up: AO3 LINK.
"Arthur," Gwaine said, looking confused when he looked from Arthur to Merlin and then back at Arthur. "I… that's not Cenred Wright."
"I know," Arthur said when Gwaine also added, "That's Merlin Emrys."
"What?" said Arthur. "You know him?"
"Of course I know who this is," Gwaine said pointing at Merlin. "Why is he in your clothes? Why were you fucking him when you're supposed to be on your date. Did you know your FATHER called me?"
"What?" Arthur's head was spinning. That was a lot of information. How did Gwaine know Merlin? Did he know Merlin was an escort?
"My father called you?" he asked, eventually.
"Yes, apparently, he thinks you're not going to marry Cenred and it's all my fault and I should leave his son alone. Let you find a good man. Not someone like me."
"So your response was to show up at my house to scream at me?"
"No, I came because I wanted to know how your date went. I didn't think you'd be- jumping in bed with the enemy."
"The enemy?" Arthur asked, confused.
Merlin stiffened up next to Arthur and spoke, "I'm not my father's-"
"Right. How much are you getting paid to find dirt on Arthur?" Gwaine asked.
"It's not like that. I didn't…mean to… He pulled me." Merlin looked pained and Arthur was now even more thoroughly confused.
"What the fuck is going on?" he asked. He was vibrating with the tension in the room and his evening had taken yet another unexpected turn making him feel exhausted. He crashed on the sofa while Gwaine and Merlin were still standing, threw his head back, and closed his eyes. He just wanted to sleep for days.
"Arthur…" Merlin whispered, the sofa dipping as he sat next to Arthur. "I need to explain something."
"Why are you the enemy?" Arthur asked, looking at Merlin. And the he turned to look at Gwaine who looked absolutely unimpressed, "I have no idea how or why my father got your number. I didn't think he even knew your surname to be able to look you up."
"Don't worry about that right now. Worry about your reputation being dragged in the mud," said Gwaine. "I know you won't care your father will be pissed off about this but it's also about your career."
"Oh for crying out loud," Merlin said, furious. "I'm here because I'm genuinely interested in fucking Arthur. Not for anything else. Stop freaking him out by saying lies about me. I'm not here to spy or ruin his reputation or whatever. We met tonight. And then he asked me to come home with him. All right? You need to stop."
Arthur's eyes darted between Merlin and Gwaine, and he was thoroughly confused. Why were they glaring daggers at each other and what did they know that obviously, Arthur didn't?
"Gwaine…" Arthur said softly. "Maybe you should go."
Gwaine looked at him surprised and Arthur saw hurt in his friend's eyes.
Arthur stood up immediately and went to him. "Listen, mate. I have no idea what's going on. And I'm exhausted. I've asked Merlin to spend the night and he said he needs to tell me something. Maybe I can just deal with this tonight, if that's okay? I'll call you tomorrow. Why don't we meet for drinks tomorrow night. Go to the pub, talk."
"If you think that's wise. I don't trust him."
Arthur nodded. "I trust you, you know that?" Arthur asked and Gwaine nodded. "And I love you for wanting to protect me but can you just give me a night off?"
Gwaine rolled his eyes and punched Arthur on the shoulder. "Fine. I'm calling you first thing-"
"What about call me after lunch tomorrow?"
"Fine. Just be careful, okay?"
When Gwaine finally left, Arthur locked the door behind him. He slowly turned to look at Merlin who was sitting on the sofa, looking nervous.
"You're not a prostitute, are you? Or maybe not just a prostitute?"
Merlin shook his head. "I should have told you from the start but when you asked me at the bar, I was shocked, and then everything happened so fast. I shouldn't have allowed the lie to continue but… I was having fun."
"Having fun," Arthur said coming to sit next to Merlin on the sofa. He managed to keep a good bit of distance between them. He wanted to know what Merlin had to say. "How does Gwaine know you? Do you know him?"
Merlin shook his head again. "I've never met him but I suppose my reputation precedes me. I might not be able to continue this line of work if I'm so noticable."
"And what it is you actually do?" Arthur asked.
"I work for a private investigation agency but people hire us, me, to find other people's dirty little secrets. I sometimes pretend to be an Escort to get the information I need but I don't shag on the job. When that man you saw me with tonight had kissed me, I was surprised by it. I didn't know for him to be so bold. I was supposed to flirt with him, get him to talk to me, give me a few clues and then I'd have investigated the matter further but… he wasn't going to pay me to have sex with him."
"But you agreed for me to pay you."
"I wanted to leave with you, Arthur. I was so jealous when Cenred had arrived and you weren't going to be talking to me anymore. When Smith was speaking with me,the way he was getting pushy, I was worried for my exit strategy and then you swept in - sort of like my Knight in Shining Armour and you saved me."
"So you only came with me because I was an exit strategy."
"Oh God, Arthur," Merlin said, sounding frustrated. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "No. I left with you because I wanted to. Because I wanted to kiss you, and be in the car with you, and come to your house. And not because eventually, someone is going to want to hire me to find dirt on the Pendragons - that's what your friend was worried about. He must know about me, the company I keep. He must have known what I do. But, I don't find information to plant fake evidence on my people. That's what my father did for a while, it's why our relationship crumbled. I'm not him. I refuse to be like him."
"Public Prosecutions," said Arthur. "He plants false evidence?"
"He claims he doesn't do it so anymore."
"Do you believe him?" asked Arthur.
Merlin shrugged. "I don't know. Does this mean you believe me?"
"I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I should kick you out because--" Then Merlin kissed him. It was gentle but firm. He'd grabbed Arthur by the back of neck, pressing their lips together, certain he wasn't letting go of him.
"I want to stay," Merlin said eventually. "I want to be here with you because I want to be here… with you. No other reasons. No ulterior motives. I'm not on the clock. I'm not someone you have to pay to shag. Just let me stay. Please?"
Arthur knew he was going to say yes because even if he didn't know he could trust Merlin, he knew how he felt. From the moment he'd met Merlin tonight, he'd felt safe with him. He'd felt like he could be himself. He didn't need to impress him.
Would he let Merlin stay the night? Most likely yes. Did he want Merlin to stay longer? That was a definite yes.
"I hope I don't end up regretting this," Arthur said. "You know if you're lying, Gwaine will find you and kick your arse."
Merlin laughed. "I don't doubt it. I would too. You're worth it, Arthur. I just hope you know that."
"How would you even know it? We've just met."
"I know," Merlin said with a smile. "It's my job to read people. It's my job to determine whether they're worth exploiting. Everything about you to me says you're one of the good ones. If it wasn't me tonight, if you'd run into someone else, you wouldn't have opened up. You know who to trust and who to avoid. I was lucky enough for you to determine you could trust me."
"So what does that mean? We were meant to meet?"
Merlin shrugged. "Maybe it's destiny."
This entry was originally posted at https://digthewriter.dreamwidth.org/641877.html. Thanks for reading
Author/Artist:
digthewriter
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 1420
Rating: PG-13
Warnings/Content: Modern!AU
Summary of fic: Life is what happens to us while we're making other plans.
A/N: Unbetaed. Catch up: AO3 LINK.
"Arthur," Gwaine said, looking confused when he looked from Arthur to Merlin and then back at Arthur. "I… that's not Cenred Wright."
"I know," Arthur said when Gwaine also added, "That's Merlin Emrys."
"What?" said Arthur. "You know him?"
"Of course I know who this is," Gwaine said pointing at Merlin. "Why is he in your clothes? Why were you fucking him when you're supposed to be on your date. Did you know your FATHER called me?"
"What?" Arthur's head was spinning. That was a lot of information. How did Gwaine know Merlin? Did he know Merlin was an escort?
"My father called you?" he asked, eventually.
"Yes, apparently, he thinks you're not going to marry Cenred and it's all my fault and I should leave his son alone. Let you find a good man. Not someone like me."
"So your response was to show up at my house to scream at me?"
"No, I came because I wanted to know how your date went. I didn't think you'd be- jumping in bed with the enemy."
"The enemy?" Arthur asked, confused.
Merlin stiffened up next to Arthur and spoke, "I'm not my father's-"
"Right. How much are you getting paid to find dirt on Arthur?" Gwaine asked.
"It's not like that. I didn't…mean to… He pulled me." Merlin looked pained and Arthur was now even more thoroughly confused.
"What the fuck is going on?" he asked. He was vibrating with the tension in the room and his evening had taken yet another unexpected turn making him feel exhausted. He crashed on the sofa while Gwaine and Merlin were still standing, threw his head back, and closed his eyes. He just wanted to sleep for days.
"Arthur…" Merlin whispered, the sofa dipping as he sat next to Arthur. "I need to explain something."
"Why are you the enemy?" Arthur asked, looking at Merlin. And the he turned to look at Gwaine who looked absolutely unimpressed, "I have no idea how or why my father got your number. I didn't think he even knew your surname to be able to look you up."
"Don't worry about that right now. Worry about your reputation being dragged in the mud," said Gwaine. "I know you won't care your father will be pissed off about this but it's also about your career."
"Oh for crying out loud," Merlin said, furious. "I'm here because I'm genuinely interested in fucking Arthur. Not for anything else. Stop freaking him out by saying lies about me. I'm not here to spy or ruin his reputation or whatever. We met tonight. And then he asked me to come home with him. All right? You need to stop."
Arthur's eyes darted between Merlin and Gwaine, and he was thoroughly confused. Why were they glaring daggers at each other and what did they know that obviously, Arthur didn't?
"Gwaine…" Arthur said softly. "Maybe you should go."
Gwaine looked at him surprised and Arthur saw hurt in his friend's eyes.
Arthur stood up immediately and went to him. "Listen, mate. I have no idea what's going on. And I'm exhausted. I've asked Merlin to spend the night and he said he needs to tell me something. Maybe I can just deal with this tonight, if that's okay? I'll call you tomorrow. Why don't we meet for drinks tomorrow night. Go to the pub, talk."
"If you think that's wise. I don't trust him."
Arthur nodded. "I trust you, you know that?" Arthur asked and Gwaine nodded. "And I love you for wanting to protect me but can you just give me a night off?"
Gwaine rolled his eyes and punched Arthur on the shoulder. "Fine. I'm calling you first thing-"
"What about call me after lunch tomorrow?"
"Fine. Just be careful, okay?"
When Gwaine finally left, Arthur locked the door behind him. He slowly turned to look at Merlin who was sitting on the sofa, looking nervous.
"You're not a prostitute, are you? Or maybe not just a prostitute?"
Merlin shook his head. "I should have told you from the start but when you asked me at the bar, I was shocked, and then everything happened so fast. I shouldn't have allowed the lie to continue but… I was having fun."
"Having fun," Arthur said coming to sit next to Merlin on the sofa. He managed to keep a good bit of distance between them. He wanted to know what Merlin had to say. "How does Gwaine know you? Do you know him?"
Merlin shook his head again. "I've never met him but I suppose my reputation precedes me. I might not be able to continue this line of work if I'm so noticable."
"And what it is you actually do?" Arthur asked.
"I work for a private investigation agency but people hire us, me, to find other people's dirty little secrets. I sometimes pretend to be an Escort to get the information I need but I don't shag on the job. When that man you saw me with tonight had kissed me, I was surprised by it. I didn't know for him to be so bold. I was supposed to flirt with him, get him to talk to me, give me a few clues and then I'd have investigated the matter further but… he wasn't going to pay me to have sex with him."
"But you agreed for me to pay you."
"I wanted to leave with you, Arthur. I was so jealous when Cenred had arrived and you weren't going to be talking to me anymore. When Smith was speaking with me,the way he was getting pushy, I was worried for my exit strategy and then you swept in - sort of like my Knight in Shining Armour and you saved me."
"So you only came with me because I was an exit strategy."
"Oh God, Arthur," Merlin said, sounding frustrated. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "No. I left with you because I wanted to. Because I wanted to kiss you, and be in the car with you, and come to your house. And not because eventually, someone is going to want to hire me to find dirt on the Pendragons - that's what your friend was worried about. He must know about me, the company I keep. He must have known what I do. But, I don't find information to plant fake evidence on my people. That's what my father did for a while, it's why our relationship crumbled. I'm not him. I refuse to be like him."
"Public Prosecutions," said Arthur. "He plants false evidence?"
"He claims he doesn't do it so anymore."
"Do you believe him?" asked Arthur.
Merlin shrugged. "I don't know. Does this mean you believe me?"
"I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I should kick you out because--" Then Merlin kissed him. It was gentle but firm. He'd grabbed Arthur by the back of neck, pressing their lips together, certain he wasn't letting go of him.
"I want to stay," Merlin said eventually. "I want to be here with you because I want to be here… with you. No other reasons. No ulterior motives. I'm not on the clock. I'm not someone you have to pay to shag. Just let me stay. Please?"
Arthur knew he was going to say yes because even if he didn't know he could trust Merlin, he knew how he felt. From the moment he'd met Merlin tonight, he'd felt safe with him. He'd felt like he could be himself. He didn't need to impress him.
Would he let Merlin stay the night? Most likely yes. Did he want Merlin to stay longer? That was a definite yes.
"I hope I don't end up regretting this," Arthur said. "You know if you're lying, Gwaine will find you and kick your arse."
Merlin laughed. "I don't doubt it. I would too. You're worth it, Arthur. I just hope you know that."
"How would you even know it? We've just met."
"I know," Merlin said with a smile. "It's my job to read people. It's my job to determine whether they're worth exploiting. Everything about you to me says you're one of the good ones. If it wasn't me tonight, if you'd run into someone else, you wouldn't have opened up. You know who to trust and who to avoid. I was lucky enough for you to determine you could trust me."
"So what does that mean? We were meant to meet?"
Merlin shrugged. "Maybe it's destiny."
This entry was originally posted at https://digthewriter.dreamwidth.org/641877.html. Thanks for reading